The Choice
by Kagami Sorciere
Summary: At the end of the world, he made his offer. The planet cracked like an egg beneath their feet, ready to give birth to a brand new star, and still he couldn't bring himself to say it- couldn't bring himself to say he needed her. Instead it came out as "You need a teacher!" Anything- *anything*- to keep her close to him. But would she understand? Choices, choices...
"You need a teacher!" he yelled over the noise of the collapsing planet, flames and magma splashing up in giant flares against the channel that had opened up behind and below them. Rey whimpered, struggling to keep her balance, and as she looked back, a desperate plea filled her mind.

 _Stay with me._

Her brow creased and her eyes widened, confusion and panic flushing through her. He continued as he pressed closer into her, their sabers sparking at the contact.

"I can show you the ways of the Force!"

 _Please._

Rey was in tears. What was he trying to say to her? That he _needed_ her? This was more than she could process. She felt the ground beneath her buckle and heave as she desperately held her grip against his own and she stared up into his eyes. They were filled with anger, anticipation, and…hope. Rey couldn't choke back a sob that escaped her lips.

"Why?!" she screamed. He stared at her, his face calm in the sparking lights. "Why would you say that? Offer to teach me? You killed your _father!_ "

Her face contorted and he shook his head, hair billowing around his pale face like some sort of dark halo as he stepped closer towards her, the pressure of his lightsaber constant against hers. He wouldn't give her an inch. She didn't need it.

"This has nothing to do with that!" he yelled back over the roar. "It has nothing to do with Solo, with Skywalker, not even Snoke!"

He tried to plead with her with his face but the strain of their clashing weapons made it difficult, sweat dripping down his brow. "Only us, Rey!" he continued, using her name for the first time. She gasped at the sound of it, a strange, foreboding feeling mingling in her chest with other things that were overwhelming her too much to identify. He grit his teeth as he blinked down at her.

"This is only about us. You. Me." He swallowed hard, desperate to make her understand. "Something brought us together, Rey. Don't you want to know what it is?"

Rey looked up at him now, tears streaming down her cheek. Yes, she hated it, but there was something there, something….what _were_ they?

"Let me teach you!" he called again. "And we will find out _together._ I _promise_ you."

Rey let go a sigh. _Together_. The word, for her, meant more than he could possibly understand. There's no way he knew what he was saying to her- what he was offering her.

 _I do know, Rey,_ came that voice again. His voice. _Together. Always together. Rey…..please._

With a choking sob, she flicked off her lightsaber and lowered her arms, her eyes so filled with tears she could hardly see. Kylo flicked off his as soon as she did, and as she stood there before him, he gaped at her, shocked that this was working, that she was _listening,_ that she _could_ listen, and to _him._ She stood there weeping before him, and as if it were entirely out of his control he raised his arms and pulled her to him, embracing her, tightly against his chest.

His arm wrapped across her back and his hand gripped her waist, while his other encircled her head- her forehead cradled against his throat.

 _Mine. MINE,_ he echoed into her mind. Her tears stained his tunic but he didn't care. _I have you. We'll be together._

His breath was shallow as he held her, terrified that if he let go she would run, flee from him, and he would lose her forever. He nuzzled his head against hers as he felt her breathing still.

"You'll come with me?" he asked against her ear, and he felt her shudder against him. He held her tighter.

"Yes," her muffled voice came out, and she nodded against his chest. "Yes."

His eyes rolled back as his eyelids fluttered closed, a feeling passing through his chest unlike anything he'd ever felt. Relief? No, it was something more. She was warm in his embrace, and his gloved fingers found their way into her hair. Suddenly, she gasped.

"Finn!" she cried out.

"What?" Kylo replied lamely, utterly confused. She twisted in his arms and looked up at him, her face the serious expression he recalled from hours ago when she was in his interrogation room.

"I need to be sure that Finn is alright first," she said pointedly.

Kylo frowned lightly. "The traitor?"

"He's not a traitor!" she fired back, pushing away from him slightly and he winced, closing his eyes again. He nodded.

"Alright," he said softly, and brought his hand up to caress her cheek. "We'll see to your friend."

He looked down at her and her fiery orbs met his. "You have my word."

Rey pressed her lips together as if in consideration, and then nodded. Letting her go felt like one of the hardest things Kylo had ever done, but he told himself over and over and over _It's just for now. It's just for now…_

They soon made their way back to where Finn lay and Rey was quickly at his side, the tears returning. He couldn't stand to see her crying suddenly. Especially not over the traitor.

"Oh, Finn…," she gasped, clutching his jacket and sobbing. Then, a cluster of spotlights shined down on them and the Millennium Falcon landed. Kylo swallowed hard and considered running. His side was still oozing blood and he didn't want a repeat performance. Warily he looked in her direction.

"Rey?" he called.

She looked up at him, down at his side, and then down back at her friend. A frown marred her beautiful features when a Wookie bounded down the gangplank roaring to take Finn and tell Rey to get on the ship. As Finn was gathered up in his woolly arms, Kylo stood stock still, temporarily frozen. Rey's hand rested on Finn's shoulder as she looked at his face and up at Chewbacca. As Chewy bounded back towards the ship, Rey stood still, and he turned around to call to her to follow. Finn didn't have much time.

Kylo, realizing that she was deciding, stepped quietly behind her. He wasn't sure how, but holding her in his arms had possibly been a massive mistake if she left with them now. He tried to imagine her running to board the ship, leaving him behind, and he felt tears rim his eyes. His hand, seemingly of its own volition, raised up before him and his fingertips brushed lightly at the back of her neck, brushing past the little wisps of hair that had fallen away from her carefully tied knots. He couldn't help himself.

 _Please_ , he found himself thinking again, and, closing his eyes, he let his need for her wash over him.

"Please go!" her voice cried, breaking his reverie. His eyes flashed open and he found her shouting at them. "Hurry!" she pleaded, and as she took a step back, Kylo's hand drifted down her spine as she came closer and he stepped to meet her, wrapping it finally around her waist.

He felt her lean into him, the tears coming again, as he held her against his uninjured side and the ship closed up. From the cockpit he could see his once uncle, the one who shot him, looking down at him with a face that nearly everyone found unreadable but it wasn't to him. He could read that face any day, and today it said way too many things.

As the ship quickly left the planet, he pulled Rey back fully into his embrace and she stared up at him, eyes darting over every inch of his face.

"Don't be afraid…" he breathed, and as his First Order command vessel came into view, he took her hand, and they were gone.

* * *

 **A/N** : This was written after an idea came to me first thing in the morning and spurred me to write the following short meta post on tumblr:

[What he says: "You need a teacher."  
What he means: "Stay with me."

It should have been so obvious, but…. *writhes around in seat* There is no question- NO QUESTION!- that Reylo is real when you realize this. You don't ask someone to stay with you when you don't have feelings for them- even if you aren't totally sure what those feelings are yet. You just _don't_ , especially when you try to cover up just how badly you want, _need_ , them to stay by saying it's for the sake of teaching ( _any_ of us in Rey's position would see straight through that, so you can bet she does, too).

Bonus:

What he says: "I can show you the ways of the Force!"  
What he means: " _*please*_."

Just break my fucking heart.]

...and then this concept nagged at me for a couple days until I sort of dribbled this out and there you have it. I just couldn't get that image of Kylo pulling Rey towards him when she agrees to his proposal, and then again as the falcon leaves without her, Kylo at her side. I couldn't shake those images, and so here we are.

Wallow in the needy angst with me.


End file.
